3 views on SC ruling on cybercrime prevention law

We are featuring three views on the recent decision of the Supreme Court on Republic Act No. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, which some critics say would lead to “cyber martial law.”

The high court endorsed a provision that seeks to penalize authors of libelous online content but not those receiving or reacting to it. The tribunal, however, thumbed down a section of RA 10175 that would have allowed the Department of Justice to block access to online content.

With the Supreme Court ruling, the law can now be implemented without the provisions that were struck down.  President Aquino signed RA 10175 into law in September 2012 to fight crimes committed on the Internet, like cybersex and child pornography, but its implementation was suspended because of challenges to its constitutionality in the high court.